A 40-year-old Christian commune faces an uncertain future

Lifelong teachers and peace activists, Catholics Suzanne and Brayton Shanley, age 79 and 77, have been on their land in central Massachusetts since 1987. That's when they cleared dense, rural New England forest to construct the buildings that would house an intentional lay community, anchored in the principles of nonviolence and sustainability. They named it Agape, inspired by the Greek word for selfless, unconditional love. But since 2020, participation has dropped dramatically, leaving the elderly couple to manage the land on their own, and the Shanleys have begun to worry about Agape’s future.